Today in the 1770s: December 10

WILLIAMSBURG, December 10, 1777.
Notice is hereby given, by Order of the President and Masters of William & Mary College, that the Sale at Nottoway Quarter is put off until Wednesday the 28th of January next, at which Time and Place will be sold for ready Money, about 30 likely Negroes, also most of the Stock thereon, with the Plantation Utensils. The Land will be leased out for 21 Years, to the highest Bidder. There are also several Plantations in Sussex may be leased for the same Number of Years.
** It is desired that those Gentlemen, who are indebted to the College by Bond or open Accounts, will immediately make Payment, or else they will be given to an Attorney without further Notice, by
JOHN CARTER, Bursar.

About this entry:

The College of William and Mary continued to educate young men until early in 1781, but finances were a problem. Ebenezer hazard visiting from New York at that time wrote in his journal, "Their Revenues are much impaired by the Present Troubles which prevent the Exportation of Tobacco, upon each [hogshead] of which they were formerly allowed a Duty by Acto of Assembly."
The Board of Visitors fired some of the faculty, sold slaves and raised the charge for tuition, room and board in an effort to raise funds.

About

Intended to provide a glimpse into the breadth of subject matter in the Gazette, excerpts from the 18th-century Virginia Gazette have been chosen for every day of the year and annotated by staff of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.

Each entry reflects an event that
happened on a particular day (or something published on a particular day).